Rome Must Perish

Vileius had long discovered that this rebel army had a large number of supplies. He had already planned in advance to wait for the rebels to bypass Aquileia City (he didn’t believe the rebels dared to attack the strong walls of Aquileia) and let down their guard. Then, the Gallian Cavalry would first launch a surprise attack on their rear, as this is often where the enemy’s Supply Team would be, thus creating great chaos. The following infantry units would then continue the assault, which should secure a great victory.

However, from the moment he saw the rebels, their performance kept shattering his habitual perception of these unruly mobs: the rebels had excellent equipment, high morale, could skillfully complete formation transformations in front of the enemy, and could maintain their formation during long marches. This was not something an ordinary army could achieve! This indicated that the rebels had undergone rigorous and regular training, with considerable combat experience. Even after leaving Aquileia City, they still protected the Supply Team in the center, with a dense column guarding the rear.

This rebel army was so cautious that Vileius saw no chance for a surprise attack.

"General, quickly give the order. If we wait any longer, these rebels will escape too far! By then, we will have lost the chance to avenge our brothers!" urged the cavalry leader.

Yes, if we miss this opportunity, the rebels will escape Italy and disappear into the mountains. There, it is the barbarians’ territory, a forbidden zone for the Roman Army, where they can completely get away! ... Vileius gazed at the outline of the distant mountains, his heart unwilling to let the rebels escape. But seeing the anxious expressions of his subordinates, he suddenly realized that if he just nodded, this guy would rashly lead the Gallian Cavalry to charge the rebels’ rear guard. If they couldn’t break through in a short time, they would be surrounded by the rebels. Then, relying on their numbers, the rebels would counterattack, crushing the following units deployed behind and threatening Aquileia’s safety during the pursuit!

Given the rebels’ current performance, this terrifying fantasy was very likely to happen! My task is to protect Aquileia’s safety, as Aquileia is related to the safety of the entire Northern Italy Province and even Rome itself! I cannot cause great disaster due to a moment of impulsiveness, just like Governor Casius! ... Vileius shook his head vigorously and said in a deep voice: "We cannot attack; we must hold Aquileia!"

Under the angry gaze of his subordinates, he looked once more at the departing rebels, thinking bitterly in his heart: Don’t think you’ll be free once you escape Italy! Those fierce barbarians will tear you apart, take you captive, and maybe one day you’ll be sold back to Italy as slaves!

The Maximus Army passed Aquileia and continued eastward. The flat terrain soon gave way to a succession of mountains, but Rome’s grand road did not end there. It followed the Adriatic Bay’s coastline, extending southward into the Istria Peninsula.

Geographically, the Istria Peninsula already belongs to the east coast of the Adriatic Sea. The Istria people living on the island are among the numerous northern Illyrian tribes and should have been designated part of the Illyria Province.